How to find Boötes
A kite-shaped constellation led by Arcturus — the bright orange star you 'arc to' from the Big Dipper.
Arcturus — a brilliant orange giant, the fourth-brightest star in the sky.
Boötes, the Herdsman, is shaped like a kite or an ice-cream cone, hanging from the brilliant orange star Arcturus. On late-spring and early-summer evenings Arcturus is one of the first stars to appear.
It's easy to find using the most famous star-hop in the sky.
Arc to Arcturus
Follow the curve of the Big Dipper's handle outward and you sweep down to Arcturus — 'arc to Arcturus.' Continue the same curve and you 'speed on to Spica' in Virgo. Arcturus's warm orange colour is obvious to the naked eye.
How to find it
- Follow the arc of the Big Dipper's handle away from the bowl to a bright orange star — Arcturus
- The kite/cone of Boötes hangs upward from Arcturus
- Continue the arc past Arcturus to reach Spica in Virgo
Deep-sky highlights
- Few bright deep-sky objects — Boötes is mainly a bright-star and navigation constellation
Stella shows exactly when Boötes is highest from your location tonight — and whether the sky is worth it.
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